OREANDA-NEWS. July 27, 2009. The Russian government will explore the feasibility of providing cheap crediting for investment projects in the metal sector via VEB or VTB, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at a meeting in Magnitogorsk, devoted to ferrous metallurgy development. “As regards financing for investment projects via VEB or VTB, we should think about it,”’ Putin said, adding that it was necessary to analyze the possibility of issuing additional lending resources for this purpose.

During the meeting, Deputy Economic Development Minister, Andrei Klepach, noted that loans on acceptable and fairly comfortable terms were necessary to go ahead with investment programs in the metal sector. To this end, it is necessary to consider subsidizing interest rates on loans or work out a system of support for long-term projects via VEB, according to the minister.